Innovation Newsletter March 2015

Welcome to the March newsletter of the

March 2015 Issue 3

Innovation Programme!

We need to work together and learn from each other if we are to be able to think and work differently in the future. In the past few weeks the Innovation Team have been engaging staff across the Council in a number of ‘hot topic’ issues. One example is the regeneration of the City Centre.

These ideas will feed into the formal consultation process.

Before the Council’s plan to redevelop the City Centre hit the headlines, members of the Innovation Community were given the opportunity to critique and build upon the proposals in order to generate new ideas.

Eliminating a Blame Culture

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The Innovation Community have also been busy helping support the Sustainable Swansea Fit For The Future Programme on issues that need fresh input, as well as developing a new ‘email etiquette’ for the Council details of which can be found below.

Scenario Planning

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We can all make a difference and should be actively encouraged to put forward ideas. The example of innovative practice celebrated in this issue shows that there is real value in listening to and engaging with our employees.

What is the Innovation Community ?    

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An informal gathering of likeminded employees from across the Council A hub for sharing knowledge, ideas and good practice One way of helping to drive cultural change and innovation Open to any member of staff involved or interested in Innovation, continuous improvement and change activities Supported by the Innovation team Voluntary—you can choose how, and to what level, you want to be involved For more information—http:// staffnet/innovationcommunity

Inside this issue:

Learn & Share—Benefits of a 2 Business Partnership Celebrating Innovative Practice—Helping Hands

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Innovation Events

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Contact the Team

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How do we solve the problem of ‘email’ ?

The Innovation Community have been giving their ideas on how to develop a new ‘email etiquette’ for the Council.

These ideas will be progressed by a task and finish group made up of Innovation Community members.

The purpose of an email etiquette will be to improve the way we use email throughout the Council and to improve the way we communicate with each other as colleagues.

Ideas put forward include trialling ‘no email’ days and promoting other means of communication such as Instant Messaging or Yammer.

If you would like to contribute or get involved please contact the team (see page 4). You can view the other suggestions here http://staffnet/ innovation.

How can we eliminate a Blame Culture?

As part of our Senior Leadership team’s commitment to innovation, Chris Sivers our Director of People led a ‘Food For Thought’ session to discuss ‘Eliminating a Blame Culture’ Key messages from the session were that: 

We need to accept personal responsibility and enable others to ‘own’ their work— some teams do this well and we need to learn from them

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We need to ensure we have the skills we need to manage a ‘no blame’ culture— people need space and time to think

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It is much more important that we look after each other as colleagues—there will be less of us in the future and those left will have more to do

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We need to learn from things that have gone wrong

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The focus needs to be on behaviours not people

How do you plan for the Future without a crystal ball or time travelling machine?

The Sustainable Development Team delivered an innovation session looking at how developing and using future scenarios can help you develop strategies for the longer-term.

What are Scenarios?

Why Scenario Plan?

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Possible views of the world, described in the form of stories

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They provide a context in which decisions can be made

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They do not predict the future but do illuminate the drivers of change

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Decisions are better informed by seeing a range of possible worlds

The future is not pre-determined or predictable

It makes sense to look for ways to understand the future to deal with uncertainty “I think there is a world market for about 5 computers” - Thomas J Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943

Please see page 4 for more information on upcoming Innovation Events.

Learn & Share—Benefits of a Business Partnership As part of our ongoing programme of learning from one another, our colleagues in Child Care Legal Services will be delivering a session to share their experience of transforming their service in order to be more effective.

Patrick Arran, our Head of Legal Democratic Services & Procurement, and Lucy Moore, Directorate Lawyer, will take us through the journey of going back to the drawing board; explore how they overcame obstacles and share the lessons learnt in order to deliver an improved service. The session will take place on Tuesday 17th March, 12.15pm—1.00pm in the Purple Room, 1.2.1 Civic Centre. All staff are welcome to attend.

Celebrating Innovative Practice Read our interview with the Corporate Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager to find out what initiative his team decided to pilot and what success they are enjoying.

What were you doing before?

Traditionally Helping Hands has been a telephone support service provided by trained employee volunteers to support staff who are experiencing difficulties in work or in their personal lives. The service offers employees support, advice and signposting.

Wellbeing workshops will focus on emotional, psychological and The number of people using the service was very low and to put physical wellbeing i.e.:

Why did you need to change?

it simply we were faced with the choice of either stopping the service or trying to change it. We are the only Authority who runs a service like this and we did not want to stop the service.

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Yoga classes and Tai Chi classes

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Stress awareness and relaxation courses

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Mindfulness

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Music Workshops

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Holistic Therapy Workshops

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Social groups

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Arts and Crafts workshops

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Gardening club

What changes have you implemented?

In addition to the telephone support service we have added a drop in advice and information service along with various health and wellbeing workshops.

These are held away from “listening to employees, the corporate buildings and and engaging with provide an independent, them… can achieve and confidential service for better services” employees.

How has this improved your service?

Working together with our volunteers we have shaped an exciting service that is more meaningful and engaging, which supports our staff especially through this time of change. Take up from the start of the pilot has been nothing short of staggering, with over 160 places being taken up in the first month. This shows that the decision to re-model Helping Hands and deliver it in a completely different way was the right one at the right time.

It also shows that listening to employees, and engaging with them, even with limited resources, can achieve better services. Interest from across the Authority also continues to grow; to such a point that we are examining feedback from the pilot to explore further options and venues to fully support our employees.

The Drop in Service will provide advice and sign posting on things such as: 

Housing issues

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Debt advice

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Health issues

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Benefit advice

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Access to the food bank for those in need

Innovation Events In order to support and upskill staff to face the challenging times ahead, the Innovation Team run an ongoing programme of development events. Events are designed for you to learn practical and relevant information that can be applied in the workplace without the need to be away from your work for long periods of time.

Events can be held in venues across the Council and can be run specifically for your team / service. The following events will take place in March in the Purple Room (1.2,1 Civic Centre).

To a book a place please email purple.room@swansea.gov.uk. For an overview of events please visit http://staffnet/purpleroomevents.

Date

Event

Time

12th March

Tools and Techniques for Improving your Service

9.30am—12.30pm

16th March

Creating a Thinking Environment

11.00am—12.00pm

25th March

Understanding and Coping with Change

9.30am—10.30am

26th March

A Coaching Style of Leadership

11.00am—12.00pm

Full List of Events Managing Change  Understanding

Looking to the Future

and Coping with Change :

 Scenario

Explored  Implementing

Change : Explored

Planning : Explored

 Principles

of Future Thinking : Explored

 Principles

of Succession Planning : Explored

 Making

Change Work, Overcoming Resistance to Change Workshop

 Is

Leadership and Motivation

your Change Sustainable? Workshop

 Coaching

Problem Solving and Supporting New Ways of Working

style of Leadership : Explored

 Getting

motivated – moving in the right direction Workshop

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Tools and Techniques for Improving your Service Workshop

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Tools and Techniques for Effective Engagement Workshop

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SWOT Analysis : Explored

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Root Cause Analysis, Fishbone and 5 Why's : Explored

If you would like to become involved in any way or would like more information about:

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De Bono's 6 Thinking Hats: Explored

 The Innovation Programme

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Green House Thinking : Explored

 Development Events, or

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Effective Collaboration : Explored

 How we can support you

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Creating a Thinking Environment : Explored

Explored Sessions last between 45—90 minutes Workshops last between 2—3 hours

Contact the Team

Please contact Leanne Cutts on (01792) 636885, visit http://staffnet/innovation or email purple.room@swansea.gov.uk